Control mechanism for drawer slide assembly

ABSTRACT

A control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet rail and a drawer rail is provided. The control mechanism comprises a latch bracket positioned on a portion of a drawer and having a post extending therefrom, a movable latch associated with the cabinet rail and capable of limited linear movement along a portion of the cabinet rail, the movable latch cooperating and engaging with the post of the latch bracket so as to move along with movement of the drawer when engaged with the post, and a damping mechanism for damping movement of the movable latch at least when the drawer is moving from an open position to a closed position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to slide assemblies used inconnecting drawers to cabinets, and more particularly relates to acontrol mechanism to dampen the movement of a drawer slide assembly asit is closed within the cabinet housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drawer slide assemblies are used in most drawer-cabinet settings tofacilitate a smooth opening and closing of a drawer relative to thecabinet housing. The problem with such drawer slide assemblies, however,is that they lack means for providing any sort of control over themovement of the drawer as it closes in the cabinet housing. As such, thedrawer, cabinet, or a facia cover associated with the front of thedrawer, can be damaged as the drawer is forcibly closed into the cabinethousing.

Such forceful movement of the drawer relative to the cabinet housing canalso cause loud slamming noises upon impact between the drawer and thecabinet interface, and there can be damage to the associated drawerslide assembly mechanisms and rails, or the contents of the drawersthemselves. It is clear that such uncontrolled closing motion isundesirable, and it is equally clear that it would be desirable toprevent such uncontrolled forceful movement of the drawer upon closingand the damage associated therewith.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a control mechanismin conjunction with a drawer slide assembly having a wheeled rollingmechanism that inhibits such forceful movement of the drawer relative tothe cabinet housing and effectively prevents the damage and undesirablenoise associated with otherwise uncontrolled closing movement.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a drawer slideassembly control mechanism is provided, comprising a cabinet railassociated with a cabinet housing and a drawer rail associated with adrawer, and a control mechanism associated with the drawer. The controlmechanism comprises a drawer latch bracket having an engagement memberextending outwardly therefrom, and a shock-absorbing sub-assembly. Theshock-absorbing sub-assembly comprises an elongate bracket memberassociated with the cabinet rail, a movable latch associated with theelongate bracket member and cooperating with the engagement member ofthe drawer latch bracket so as to move along with movement of the drawerover at least a portion of a length of the drawer rail, and a shockabsorber unit associated with the elongate bracket member andcooperating with the movable latch for damping movement of the movablelatch at least during a closing stroke of the drawer to reduce noiseassociated with closing the drawer.

Preferably, the drawer latch bracket is positioned on at least one of aside surface of the drawer and a bottom surface of the drawer.

It is also preferable that the drawer slide assembly control mechanismfurther comprises a stabilizing bracket fixedly attached to the cabinetrail and the elongate bracket member and extending therebetween in adirection that is substantially perpendicular to an extension directionof the cabinet rail. The elongate bracket member preferably comprises agroove extending in a direction that is substantially parallel withrespect to an extension axis of the cabinet rail, and the movable latchcomprises a first portion that resides in and rides along the groove ofthe elongate bracket member, and a catcher extending outwardly beyondthe groove of the elongate bracket member from the first portion in adirection that is substantially perpendicular to the extension axis ofthe cabinet rail. The catcher preferably has at least one portion forreceiving, engaging and retaining at least one portion of the engagementmember of the drawer latch bracket to prevent disengagement between thecatcher and the engagement member of the drawer latch bracket during theclosing stroke of the drawer.

The movable latch preferably further comprises a member for engaging theshock absorber within the elongate bracket member, and a member forengaging a drawer return spring within the elongate bracket member. Whenthe drawer is closed during a closing stroke, the engagement member ofthe drawer latch bracket engages the receiving and engaging portion ofthe catcher, at which point the drawer return spring draws the movablelatch in the closing stroke direction, and the shock absorber dampensthe closing stroke to provide a smooth and gentle closing action of thedrawer.

It is also preferable that the elongate bracket member comprisespositioning means for determining a mounting location with respect tothe cabinet rail and the drawer latch bracket.

According to one aspect, the drawer latch bracket is fixed to a frontportion of a side panel of the drawer, and according to another aspect,the drawer latch bracket is fixed to a front portion of a bottom panelof the drawer.

In embodiments employing the stabilizing bracket, it is preferred thatthe stabilizing bracket comprises one or more protrusions having shapesthat lockingly engage with corresponding portions of the elongatebracket member and the cabinet rail. According to another aspect, thestabilizing bracket comprises a plurality of snap-fit tabs that engagewith corresponding portions of the elongate bracket member and thecabinet rail, and it is also preferred that the stabilizing bracketcomprises at least one snap-fit dowel that engages with a correspondingopening of the elongate bracket member.

Preferably, at least one portion of the catcher for receiving andengaging at least one portion of the engagement member of the drawerlatch bracket comprises a pocket portion, a lever portion having a liphorizontally opposed to the pocket portion, and a seat portion definedtherebetween.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the engagementmember of the drawer latch bracket preferably comprises a main bodyportion, and the main body portion of the engagement member of thedrawer latch bracket comprises one or more posts extending outwardlyfrom a surface thereof which engage a pocket portion of the catcher. Themain body portion of the engagement member of the drawer latch bracketpreferably engages a seat portion of the catcher and is sandwichedbetween a pocket portion of the catcher and a horizontally opposed lipportion thereof.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a drawer slideassembly control mechanism is provided, comprising a cabinet railassociated with a cabinet housing and a drawer rail associated with adrawer, and a control mechanism associated with the drawer. The controlmechanism comprises a drawer latch bracket positioned on the drawer, thedrawer latch bracket having an engagement tab extending outwardlytherefrom, and a shock-absorbing sub-assembly. The shock-absorbingsub-assembly comprises an elongate bracket member associated with thecabinet rail and capable of limited linear movement along a portion ofthe cabinet rail. The elongate bracket member comprising a grooveextending in a direction that is substantially parallel with respect toan extension axis of the cabinet rail, a movable latch associated withthe elongate bracket member and cooperating with the engagement tab ofthe drawer latch bracket so as to move along with movement of the drawerover at least a portion of a length of the drawer rail, and a shockabsorber unit associated with the elongate bracket member andcooperating with the movable latch for damping movement of the movablelatch at least during a closing stroke of the drawer to reduce noiseassociated with closing the drawer.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a controlmechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet rail and adrawer rail is provided. The control mechanism comprises a latch bracketbeing fixedly positioned on a portion of the drawer above or below thedrawer rail and the cabinet rail, a moveable latch associated with thecabinet rail and adapted to engage the latch bracket, the moveable latchbeing configured to move along with movement of the drawer when in alatched state as engaged with the latch bracket, and a damping mechanismfor clamping movement of the movable latch engaged with the latchbracket as the drawer moves from an open position to a closed positionto reduce noise associated with closing the drawer.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a controlmechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet rail and adrawer rail is provided. The control mechanism comprises a latch bracketpositioned on a portion of a drawer and having a post extendingtherefrom, a movable latch associated with the cabinet rail and capableof limited linear movement along a portion of the cabinet rail, themovable latch cooperating and engaging with the post of the latchbracket so as to move along with movement of the drawer when engagedwith the post, and a damping mechanism for damping movement of themovable latch at least when the drawer is moving from an open positionto a closed position to reduce noise associated with closing the drawer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, left-side view of a drawer slide controlmechanism 5 according to one embodiment of the present inventionincluding a shock-absorbing sub-assembly and a combined stabilizationbracket 20 for left and right cabinet rail attachment according to oneaspect of the present invention (the drawer and drawer rail areremoved).

FIG. 2 is a partial-exploded, right side perspective view of the controlmechanism shown in FIG. 1 having a stabilization bracket 30 for theright cabinet rail according to another aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the drawer slide control mechanism5 including the stabilization bracket 20 shown in FIG. 1 mounted inconnection with a wooden drawer 2 (the drawer rail is removed).

FIGS. 4A-4D show perspective views of a movable latch 10 and a latchbracket 7 according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein FIG.4A shows the movable latch 10, FIG. 4B shows the drawer latch 7, FIG. 4Cshows the initial engagement positions of the movable latch 10 and thedrawer latch 7 as the drawer is closing, and FIG. 4D shows the engagedpositions of the movable latch 10 and the drawer latch 7 when the draweris closed/closing.

FIG. 5 is a perspective, right-side view of a drawer slide controlmechanism 51 according to another embodiment of the present invention,including a stabilization bracket 40 and an invertedly installed shockabsorbing sub-assembly (the drawer and drawer rail are removed).

FIG. 6 is perspective view of the latch bracket 70 associated with thecontrol mechanism 51 shown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective, left-side view of a drawer slide controlmechanism 5 according to one embodiment on the present inventionincluding a shock-absorbing sub-assembly and a combined stabilizationbracket 20 for left and right cabinet rail attachment according to oneaspect of the present invention (the drawer and drawer rail areremoved).

The control mechanism according to the present invention is designed tofunction in a similar manner to that which is described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/011,269, the entirety of which is incorporatedherein by reference. In particular, many of the details of the internalmechanisms and functions that are described in connection with the shockabsorbing sub-assembly in the '269 Application are the same in thepresent invention, and repetitious details are omitted. There are,however, some clear structural differences between the drawer controlmechanism of the present invention and that described in the '269Application, which would be readily appreciated by those skilled in theart.

Like the drawer control mechanism of the '269 Application, the drawercontrol mechanisms according to the present invention are designed towork in concert with a conventional drawer slider assembly to controlthe movement of a drawer 2 relative to a cabinet housing 1 (see, e.g.,U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,861, for example). The conventional assemblyincludes slide rails, which include a cabinet rail that is fixed to thecabinet housing, and a drawer rail that is attached to the drawer, inany known manner. For example, the drawer rail can be a separate memberthat is affixed to the side surface of the drawer (e.g., such as aside-mount roller or slide rail system), or it be formed as an integralpart of a metal or plastic side surface of the drawer itself, extendingoutwardly therefrom along the length thereof, rather than as a separatemember affixed thereto. In any event, the essential structuralcomponents of the drawer rail remain the same regardless of whether itis separately mounted or an integral component with respect to the sidesurface of the drawer.

The control mechanism 5 shown in FIGS. 1-4D includes a cabinet rail 3that is fixed to the cabinet panel 1 by a number of different means,such as via a fastener though the fixation opening 3 a, as shown inFIGS. 1-3. The control mechanism 5 also includes a drawer latch bracket7 that is fixed to at least a portion of the drawer 2, such as the latchbracket 7 shown in FIG. 3, which is affixed to a front, side portion ofthe drawer 2 via a fastener though the fixation member opening 7 a, andthe latch bracket 70 shown in FIG. 5 in conjunction with a differentembodiment of the present invention, which is affixed to a front, bottomportion of the drawer (not shown) via a fastener though the fixationmember opening 70 a.

The control mechanism 5 also includes a shock absorbing sub-assemblyhaving an elongate bracket member 9 and a moveable latch 10 (see FIGS.1-4D). The movable latch 10 includes a first portion 11 that resides andrides within a groove 9 a formed on at least one side of the elongatebracket member 9. The movable latch 10 includes a catcher portion 13having a pocket portion 13 a and a spring finger/lever portion 13 b thatdefine a space or seat portion 13 c therebetween in which is sandwichedan engagement member 12 extending perpendicularly from the main plane 71of the drawer latch bracket 7 that is attached to the drawer 2.

As described in more detail in the '269 Application, the shock absorbingsub-assembly also includes a shock absorber having a piston rod that ispivotally connected to latch, by a pin, for example. The shock absorbercan include any type of fluid, such as a gas or a liquid, like air oroil or any other suitable dampening means. A drawer return springextends from a holding member fixed to a portion of the elongatebracket, and is attached to a portion 11 of the movable latch 10 (see,e.g., FIG. 4A).

The elongate bracket member 9 is attached to a portion of cabinet panel1 by at least one fastener through the fastener/fixation member opening9 c (see FIGS. 1-3). The means for affixing the elongate bracket member9 of shock absorbing sub-assembly to the cabinet panel 1 is shown as ascrew, but is not limited, and can include other means, such as welding,gluing, adhesive tape, an adhesive-backed or glue-backed hook-and-looptype fastener member, or formed integrally by casting, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 4B-4D, the drawer latch bracket 7 likewise includes afastener/fixation member opening 7 a for direct connection to cabinetpanel 1 via a screw, for example. The means for affixing the drawerlatch bracket 7 is also not limited, and can include other means, suchas welding, gluing, adhesive tape, an adhesive-backed or glue-backedhook-and-loop type fastener member, for example. In the example of thelatch bracket 70 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the latch bracket 70 is adaptedto be affixed to the bottom panel of a metal drawer (not shown, butunderstood from the drawings and the knowledge possessed by thoseskilled in the art) using the fixation means through thefastener/fixation means opening 70 a for affixing fasteners such asscrews, or through the various alternative means described above.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, a stabilization bracket 20, 30 is also provided,if desired, as a stabilizing mechanism between the elongate bracketmember 9 and the cabinet rail 3. The stabilization brackets 20 is acombined bracket for use on the left-hand or right-hand side of thecabinet rail 3, which lend a universal applicability to this embodimentof the stabilization bracket according to the present invention.

The stabilization brackets 20, 30 each include one or more mechanicalmating mechanisms to affix the stabilization brackets to both theelongate bracket member 9 of the shock absorbing sub-assembly and thecabinet rail 3. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the stabilizationbrackets 20, 30 each include a snap-fit dowel 21, 31 which extends froma first end of a main body portion 22, 32 of the respectivestabilization brackets 20, 30 and mechanically mates and lockinglyengages with a corresponding mating portion, such as opening 9 b formedthe elongate bracket member 9, to fasten the stabilization brackets 20,30 in place. Although one set of a dowel 21 and opening 9 b are shown,any number of these or similar pairs can be provided, as desired.

The main body portion 22 of the stabilization bracket 20 also includes aportion on which a double-sided adhesive member 22 a can be affixed toachieve an adhesive relationship with a corresponding portion of asurface of the cabinet rail, as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, thestabilization bracket 20 can also include a lip portion 23 extendingfrom and opposed second end of the main body portion 22 that extendstoward the cabinet rail 3 and engages the lower surface thereof (seeFIGS. 1 and 3).

The stabilization bracket 30 shown in FIG. 2 further includes snap-fittabs 33 a, 33 b extending from a middle portion of the main body portion32 thereof, which lockingly engage a surface ridge (i.e., an uppersurface, as shown in FIG. 2) of the cabinet rail 3, as well as asnap-fit tab 34 extending from an opposed second end of the main bodyportion 32 of the stabilization bracket 30, which lockingly engages asurface ridge (i.e., a bottom surface, as shown in FIG. 2) of thecabinet rail 3. In that manner, the elongate bracket 9 is affixed to thestabilization bracket via the snap-fit dowel, and the stabilizationbracket 30 is snap-fit onto the cabinet rail 3, which is essentiallysandwiched between the respective tabs 33 a, 33 b and 34 of thestabilization bracket 30.

This stabilization brackets are preferably made from a spring loadmemory material, as is the entire elongate bracket member 9, whichenables the stabilization brackets 20, 30 (and 40, as described belowwith respect to FIG. 5) to snap into place to be securely affixedbetween the elongate bracket member 9 and the cabinet rail 3 and toprevent unintentional disengagement of the mated/adhered positions.

Means for attaching the stabilization brackets 20, 30, 40 to a surfaceof the cabinet rail 3 is not limited to the embodiments described above,however, and includes additional and/or alternative means such aswelding, glue, adhesive tape, adhesive-backed or glue-hackedhook-and-loop type fasteners, or the like, to name a few. The snap-fit,locking mating means shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5, combined with the use ofdouble-sided adhesive, if necessary, are preferred in the context ofease of installation, the speed of installation for both factory andaftermarket or retrofit applications, and the fact that no additionaltools or fastening members or accessories are needed to facilitate thesecure attachment and removal, if necessary.

The operation of the drawer slide control mechanism 5 according to theabove-described embodiment of the present invention will now beexplained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows the drawer 2 inan open position and FIGS. 4C-D show the stages of engagement of some ofthe components of the control mechanism 5 during the closing stroke(FIG. 4C) and in the closed (FIG. 4D) positions of the drawer 2. Itshould also be noted that the engagement member 712 of the latch bracket70 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 functionally interacts with the movable latch10 in the inverted shock absorbing sub-assembly in the same manner asthe engagement member 12 of the drawer latch bracket 7 described belowwith respect to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, just upside-down,comparatively speaking.

The elongate brackets members 9 shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5 also includelocator tabs or feet 9 d spaced a distance apart from one another alongthe longitudinal extension direction of the elongate bracket member 9and extending away therefrom in a perpendicular direction with respectto the longitudinal extension direction thereof (i.e., downwardly asshown in FIGS. 1-3; upwardly as shown in FIG. 5). The locator tabs 9 dare used to guide and aid in the proper positioning of the elongatebracket member 9 with respect to the cabinet rail 3 during installation.

As the drawer 2 is closed, the post 12 b of the engagement member 12 onthe drawer latch bracket 7 first contacts and engages the pocket portion13 a of the catcher 13, and is received in a lower portion of the pocket13 a. The movable latch 10 rotates counter-clockwise with the force ofthe closing drawer as shown in FIG. 4C, and the engagement member 12clears the lip portion 13 b 1 of the spring finger/catcher lever 13 band enters and engages the space defined the seat portion 13 c, and isheld in place by virtue of being sandwiched between the pocket portion13 a and the lever 13 b, as shown in FIG. 4D. The post 12 b is thenlocated in an upper part of the pocket portion 13 a, where it isretained. The movable latch 10 rides along the groove 9 a of theelongate bracket member 9 of the shock absorbing sub-assembly in theclosing direction. At this point, the drawer return spring draws themovable latch 10 back toward the cabinet panel/housing 1 until thedrawer 2 is fully closed. The shock absorber dampens the return strokeof the movable latch 10, and thus the drawer 2, so that the drawer 2does not close abruptly with respect to cabinet panel 1. The result is asmooth and gentle closing action of the drawer 2 relative to cabinetpanel 1.

In the event that the engagement member 12 is dislodged from thetemporary locking position provided within the catcher portion 13 of themovable latch 10, which would force the movable latch 10 back to aposition as if the drawer were opened, it would still be possible tomanually return the drawer 2 to its fully closed position. Specifically,the catcher portion 13 is resilient enough to allow the engagement tab12 to deflect/rotate the lever portion 13 b of the catcher 13counter-clockwise upwardly to a sufficient extent for the engagement tab12 to clear the lip portion 13 b 1 of the lever 13 b of the catcher 13to essentially reset the position of the engagement tab 12 in the spacedefining the seat portion 13 c between the pocket portion 13 a and thelever portion 13 b of the catcher 13 of the movable latch 10. At thispoint, the drawer slide control mechanism 5 is reset and again ready foruse in the manner described above.

Another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 isdescribed in more detail below. More specifically, FIG. 5 shows aperspective view of a drawer slide control mechanism 51 according toanother embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 a perspectiveview of the bottom-mounted drawer latch 70 shown in FIG. 5. The drawerslide control mechanism 51 is likewise provided in conjunction withcooperating rails, namely a cabinet rail 3 and a drawer rail having awheeled rolling mechanism (not shown). While the details shown inconjunction with FIGS. 5 and 6 differ somewhat from those depicted inFIGS. 1-4D it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that thepresent invention can easily be adapted to accommodate variations indrawer slide rail designs, and the present invention is not limited tothe specific embodiments shown and described herein.

The drawer slide control mechanism 51 includes a drawer latch bracket 70having a main plain 71 and an engagement member 712 extending outwardlyfrom a perpendicular extension 711 at a first portion of the main plane71. The latch bracket 70 also includes a second portion 72, extendingperpendicularly upwards a distance at an opposed second portion of themain plane 71, in a direction that is perpendicular with respect to theextension direction of the engagement member 712. The second portion 72includes, for example, openings 70 a through which fixing means,examples of which include, but are not limited to a screw, bolt, nail,brad, solder, or other mechanical fixing member, can be inserted toaffix the latch bracket 70 to the bottom panel of the drawer. In thatmanner, the drawer latch bracket 70 attaches directly to a portion ofthe bottom surface of the drawer via the attachment means 70 a. Althoughit is not shown in FIG. 5, the means for affixing the drawer latch 70 tothe drawer could also include snap fit mating means that engagereciprocating engagement means on the bottom surface of the drawer. Thematerials of the drawer latch bracket 70, being metal or plastic, forexample, are conducive for forming snap-fit mating members, as well asthe apertures shown, as one skilled in the art would readily appreciate.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control mechanism 51 also includes a shockabsorber sub-assembly having an elongate bracket member 9, which ismounted in an inverted mounting position, but which is otherwisestructurally and functionally the same as the elongate bracket member 9and the shock absorber sub-assembly described above and in connectionwith the '269 Application.

The elongate bracket member 9 attaches to a surface of the cabinet panel1, such as a side surface as shown, for example, or any other surface asdictated by the particular requirements associated with the designconstraints of the drawer slide rail system. Means for attaching theelongate bracket member 9 to a surface of the cabinet panel 1 is notlimited to the embodiment described above, however, and includesadditional and/or alternative means such as welding, glue, adhesivetape, adhesive-backed or glue-backed hook-and-loop type fasteners, orthe like, to name a few.

FIG. 5 also shows an example of a stabilization bracket 40. In thiscase, because the orientation of the shock absorbing sub-assembly isinverted, the orientation of the stabilizing bracket is likewiseinverted, and will be described with respect to the particularorientation depicted in FIG. 5. That is, a snap-fit dowel 41 extendsfrom a second end of the main body portion 42 of the stabilizationbracket 40, and engages the opening 9 b in the elongate bracket member 9in the same manner described above in connection with FIGS. 1-3. Inaddition, two sets of engagement tabs 43 a and 43 b, 43 c, also of thesnap-fit type, are provided extending proximal the opposed first end ofthe main body portion 42 of the stabilization bracket 40. The engagementtabs 43 a-c snap-fit onto and lockingly engage the upper and lower ridgesurfaces of the cabinet rail 3 as shown in FIG. 5 to securely affix thestabilization bracket thereto, so that the stabilization bracket extendsdownwardly between the cabinet rail 3 and the elongate bracket member 9.The specific length of the main body portion 42 of the stabilizationbracket 40 is selected based on the particular dimensions, such as theheight, of the drawer to ensure the correct alignment and propercooperation between the respective components of the drawer slidecontrol mechanism when the drawer latch bracket 70 is mounted on thebottom surface of the drawer, as shown in FIG. 5.

Each of the component parts described above can be made from any one ofa variety of materials that are typically used in the construction ofdrawer and cabinet hardware assemblies, including, but not limited toplastic, metal, composite, or any other suitable material. If any of theparts are to be formed integrally as described above, the respectiveparts would likely be made of the same material, preferably plastic toreduce cost.

In a similar manner, there is no special requirement for the shockabsorber, and a variety of linear-type shock absorbers are available inthe market. The damping characteristics and stroke length of the shockabsorber would, of course, have to be selected so as to meet theparticular damping and stroke requirements for the drawer slide controlmechanisms 5, 51 as described above. The shock absorber can contain afluid such as a gas, like air or any other suitable gaseous dampingfluid, or a liquid, such as an oil or any other suitable liquidousdamping fluid.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawings, itwill be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes indetail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A drawer slide assembly control mechanismcomprising: a cabinet rail associated with a cabinet housing and adrawer rail associated with a drawer; and a control mechanism associatedwith the drawer, said control mechanism comprising a drawer latchbracket having an engagement member extending outwardly therefrom, and ashock-absorbing sub-assembly comprising an elongate bracket memberassociated with said cabinet rail, a movable latch associated with saidelongate bracket member and cooperating with said engagement member ofsaid drawer latch bracket so as to move along with movement of saiddrawer over at least a portion of a length of said drawer rail, and ashock absorber unit associated with said elongate bracket member andcooperating with said movable latch for damping movement of said movablelatch at least during a closing stroke of said drawer to reduce noiseassociated with closing said drawer.
 2. The drawer slide assemblycontrol mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said drawer latchbracket is positioned on at least one of a side surface of said drawerand a bottom surface of said drawer.
 3. The drawer slide assemblycontrol mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a stabilizingbracket fixedly attached to said cabinet rail and said elongate bracketmember and extending therebetween in a direction that is substantiallyperpendicular to an extension direction of said cabinet rail.
 4. Thedrawer slide assembly control mechanism according to claim 1, whereinsaid elongate bracket member comprises a groove extending in a directionthat is substantially parallel with respect to an extension axis of saidcabinet rail; and wherein said movable latch comprises a first portionthat resides in and rides along said groove of said elongate bracketmember, and a catcher extending outwardly beyond said groove of saidelongate bracket member from said first portion in a direction that issubstantially perpendicular to said extension axis of said cabinet rail,said catcher having at least one portion for receiving, engaging andretaining at least one portion of said engagement member of said drawerlatch bracket to prevent disengagement between said catcher and saidengagement member of said drawer latch bracket during the closing strokeof the drawer.
 5. The drawer slide assembly control mechanism accordingto claim 1, wherein said movable latch further comprises a member forengaging said shock absorber within the elongate bracket member.
 6. Thedrawer slide assembly control mechanism according to claim 1, whereinsaid movable latch further comprises a member for engaging a drawerreturn spring within the elongate bracket member.
 7. The drawer slideassembly control mechanism according to claim 6, wherein when saiddrawer is closed during a closing stroke, said engagement member of saiddrawer latch bracket engages said receiving and engaging portion of saidcatcher, at which point said drawer return spring draws said movablelatch in the closing stroke direction, and said shock absorber dampenssaid closing stroke to provide a smooth and gentle closing action ofsaid drawer.
 8. The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according toclaim 1, wherein said elongate bracket member comprises positioningmeans for determining a mounting location with respect to said cabinetrail and said drawer latch bracket.
 9. The drawer slide assembly controlmechanism according to claim 2, wherein said drawer latch bracket isfixed to a front portion of a side panel of the drawer.
 10. The drawerslide assembly control mechanism according to claim 2, wherein saiddrawer latch bracket is fixed to a front portion of a bottom panel ofthe drawer.
 11. The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according toclaim 3, wherein said stabilizing bracket comprises one or moreprotrusions having shapes that lockingly engage with correspondingportions of said elongate bracket member and said cabinet rail.
 12. Thedrawer slide assembly control mechanism according to claim 11, whereinsaid stabilizing bracket comprises a plurality of snap-fit tabs thatengage with corresponding portions of said elongate bracket member andsaid cabinet rail.
 13. The drawer slide assembly control mechanismaccording to claim 11, wherein said stabilizing bracket comprises atleast one snap-fit dowel that engages with a corresponding opening ofsaid elongate bracket member.
 14. The drawer slide assembly controlmechanism according to claim 1, wherein said at least one portion ofsaid catcher for receiving and engaging at least one portion of saidengagement member of said drawer latch bracket comprises a pocketportion, a lever portion having a lip horizontally opposed to saidpocket portion, and a seat portion defined there between.
 15. The drawerslide assembly control mechanism according to claim 1, wherein saidengagement member of said drawer latch bracket comprises a main bodyportion.
 16. The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according toclaim 15, wherein said main body portion of said engagement member ofsaid drawer latch bracket comprises one or more posts extendingoutwardly from a surface thereof which engage a pocket portion of saidcatcher.
 17. The drawer slide assembly control mechanism according toclaim 15, wherein said main body portion of said engagement member ofsaid drawer latch bracket engages a seat portion of said catcher and issandwiched between a pocket portion of said catcher and a horizontallyopposed lip portion thereof.
 18. A drawer slide assembly controlmechanism comprising: a cabinet rail associated with a cabinet housingand a drawer rail associated with a drawer; and a control mechanismassociated with the drawer, said control mechanism comprising a drawerlatch bracket positioned on said drawer, said drawer latch brackethaving an engagement tab extending outwardly therefrom, and ashock-absorbing sub-assembly comprising an elongate bracket memberassociated with said cabinet rail and capable of limited linear movementalong a portion of said cabinet rail, said elongate bracket membercomprising a groove extending in a direction that is substantiallyparallel with respect to an extension axis of said cabinet rail, amovable latch associated with said elongate bracket member andcooperating with said engagement tab of said drawer latch bracket so asto move along with movement of said drawer over at least a portion of alength of said drawer rail, and a shock absorber unit associated withsaid elongate bracket member and cooperating with said movable latch fordamping movement of said movable latch at least during a closing strokeof said drawer to reduce noise associated with closing said drawer. 19.A control mechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet railand a drawer rail, said control mechanism comprising: a latch bracketbeing fixedly positioned on a portion of said drawer above or below saiddrawer rail and said cabinet rail; a moveable latch associated with saidcabinet rail and adapted to engage said latch bracket, said moveablelatch being configured to move along with movement of said drawer whenin a latched state as engaged with said latch bracket; and a dampingmechanism for damping movement of said movable latch engaged with saidlatch bracket as said drawer moves from an open position to a closedposition to reduce noise associated with closing said drawer.
 20. Acontrol mechanism for a drawer slide assembly including a cabinet railand a drawer rail, said control mechanism comprising: a latch bracketpositioned on a portion of a drawer and having a post extendingtherefrom; a movable latch associated with said cabinet rail and capableof limited linear movement along a portion of said cabinet rail, saidmovable latch cooperating and engaging with said post of said latchbracket so as to move along with movement of said drawer when engagedwith said post; and a damping mechanism for damping movement of saidmovable latch at least when said drawer is moving from an open positionto a closed position to reduce noise associated with closing saiddrawer.